China’s ruling Communist Party has said in a surge of upbeat propaganda that a sprawling network of camps in the Xinjiang region is providing job training and putting detainees on production lines for their own good, offering an escape from poverty, backwardness and the temptations of radical Islam. Darren Byler, a lecturer of anthropology at the UW, is quoted.

Last week, the Miami Herald published a massive investigation suggesting financier and friend-to-the-stars Jeffrey Epstein may have gotten away with sexually abusing dozens of teenage girls. Jessica Johnson, a lecturer of anthropology at the UW, is quoted.

According to the ruling Communist Party's official newspaper, as of the end of September, 1.1 million local Chinese government workers have been deployed to ethnic minorities' living rooms, dining areas and Muslim prayer spaces, not to mention at weddings, funerals and other occasions once considered intimate and private. Darren Byler, lecturer of anthropology at the UW, is quoted. [This AP story appeared in dozens of outlets]

Archaeologists have found sophisticated carved stone tools in a site in South China – rewriting the ancient history of technology. Researchers from the University of Washington believe that the carved tools – the ‘multi tool’ of the prehistoric world – emerged in China independently, much earlier than thought. Ben Marwick, a UW associate professor of anthropology, is quoted.

A statement delivered on behalf of 278 academics from 26 countries called for the release of detainees and an end to China’s campaign against Muslim minorities. Darren Byler, a lecturer of anthropology at the UW, is quoted.

Archaeologists thought these ancient tools, 80,000 years old at least, were brought to China by migrants — but now it appears they were invented locally. Ben Marwick, an associate professor of archaeology at the University of Washington, co-wrote this analysis piece with collaborators about their recent paper. [This story originally appeared in The Conversation]

An international team of experts has identified sophisticated stone implements in a cave in Southern China, which they describe as the “Swiss Army knife of prehistoric tools.” Ben Marwick, a UW associate professor of anthropology, is quoted.

The discovery that the “Swiss Army knife of prehistoric tools” was used in China much earlier than thought is challenging the assumption that advanced stone-aged techniques were introduced to Asia from the West. Ben Marwick, UW associate professor of anthropology, is quoted. [This story is behind a paywall and is the third article in this roundup]

New analysis of artifacts originally recovered from a dig site in China suggests stone tool technology developed independently in East Asia — and much earlier than previously thought. Ben Marwick, associate professor of anthropology at the UW, is quoted.

Artifacts recently found at an archaeological site in China show that one type of sophisticated tool technology emerged in East Asia much earlier than previously thought. Ben Marwick, associate professor of anthropology at the UW, is quoted.

Scientists have reconstructed the ribcage and spine of a Neanderthal man that died around 60,000 years ago, leading them to make an unexpected discovery. Patricia Kramer, professor of anthropology at the UW, is quoted.

Researchers used modern technology to virtually reconstruct a 60,000-year-old Neanderthal rib cage, potentially shedding new light on how these hominids interacted with their environment. Patricia Kramer, an anthropologist at the UW, is quoted.

Neanderthals may not have sported the barrel-chested bodies and hunched posture we see in museums and textbooks, according to a new study. Patricia Kramer, professor of anthropology at the UW, is quoted. [Note: This story appeared in dozens of outlets]

History exists in the past, but that doesn’t mean it’s static. New findings illustrate the discovery of a dozen projectile points in Central Texas. Ben Marwick, associate professor of anthropology at the UW, is quoted.